Oil & Gas services business completes MBO

From left to right - Sigrid Ruz, Gavin Sim and Ian McDonald

Aberdeen-headquartered oil and gas integrity specialist Alba Gaskets has successfully completed a management buy-out (MBO) for an undisclosed sum, with the help of the corporate finance team at MHA Henderson Loggie.

The company, which manufactures gaskets for the oil and gas industry, made the announcement during a visit to its Altens premises by Minister for Trade, Investment & Innovation, Ivan McKee, MSP.

Mr McKee toured Alba Gaskets’ manufacturing facility and also met with key members of the company’s management team.

Managing director, Gavin Sim and director, Sigfrid Ruz, will head up the new management structure.

Mr Sim is one of the business’ founders and has therefore been with the business since its inception 12 years ago. He has more than 21 years’ technical and management experience in the gasket sector.

Mr Ruz has 25 years’ experience working in technology-related roles, with a particular specialist knowledge of the gasket industry. He joined Alba Gaskets earlier this year as its operations and technical director, having moved to Aberdeen from Denver, Colorado.

Commenting on the MBO, Mr Sim said: “The support and advice Sigfrid and I received from MHA Henderson Loggie was integral to getting the deal over the line. We are tremendously confident in the opportunity we have in front of us at Alba Gaskets and the relationship we have developed with MHA Henderson Loggie I have no doubt, will aid in the delivery of this. Thanks to both Ian McDonald and Rod Mathers we felt we were as prepared as we could be for the deal closing and look forward to working with them in the coming years.

“With the new structure in place, we look forward to building upon the excellent relationships we have with our existing client base, developing products to meet their specific challenges, while also bringing new products to the market though our in-house manufacturing capability.

“The oil and gas industry has obviously faced some challenges over recent years, but we really feel like the business is in an exciting place and are already seeing increased opportunities both in the North Sea and internationally. We have a highly skilled team with a wealth of industry experience and look forward to building upon those capabilities going forward.”

Mr McKee said: “It’s great to see businesses like Alba Gaskets demonstrating such innovation and ambition in the offshore sector.

“Scotland has such a fantastic track record when it comes to trading, both in the UK and overseas.

“The oil and gas sector is a key component of our economy and remains integral to a sustainable, secure and inclusive energy transition.

“I wish Gavin, Sigfrid and the team all the very best as they look ahead to this next chapter for the company.”

MHA Henderson Loggie in Aberdeen has been working closely with Alba Gaskets over the past 18months in preparation for the deal, providing strategic advice as well as raising the funding required to deliver the transaction.

Ian McDonald, Senior Manager – Corporate Finance, MHA Henderson Loggie said: “Alba Gaskets has done exceptionally well to protect and indeed grow its position during the recent downturn and it is because of the clear opportunity that Gavin and Sigfrid now feel exists within the business to take it forward, that we were able to raise the funding required.

“I have no doubt that Alba Gaskets will push on from here and continue to be an integral part of the supply chain both in the UK and abroad. I very much look forward to working with the team going forward and wish them all the very best.”

Funding to assist the deal was structured by MHA Henderson Loggie and provided by Barclays Bank, while Scottish Enterprise provided Alba Gaskets with ongoing strategic support. Ledingham Chalmers was the company’s legal advisor.

Alba Gaskets was established in 2007 and currently employs 10 staff.

Share on facebook

Facebook

Share on twitter

Twitter

Share on linkedin

LinkedIn

Receive stories like this in your mail box every day. Just sign up to receive our daily newsletter.